The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-10-29
RATTLESNAKES.
What Old Simon Kent Knows
About Them.
Friends OF His, Hut Not to lie Trusted-IiIs
Eleven Year Old Pet-What They win
Eat and the Fatality of
Their Bite.

Yes" said Simon Kent, the "rattle-
snake king Of Clinton County, whose
home is near the headquarters of
Paddy's Run, in this township. IL
think | know few things about rat
tlesnakcs. oughtto I've lived next
door ncighbor to them for forty years.
They're friends of mine. but wouldn't
trust one of them IA single second if he
was in reach of mt"
Kent and siXtecn-year-old son live
alone in the woods. The father is n
man of intelligence, but spends most of
his time in capturing rattlesnakcs,
which are abundant in his locality.
He has sometimes as many as two
hundred Of these vcnomous reptiles in
captivity at one time. He supplies
side-shows and museums with live rat
tiers. and he has quite n trade in tanned
rattlesnake skins, which are used cx-
tensively by manufacturers of fancy
articles He also sells large quantities
of rattlcsnake oil. faith in its efficacy rs
linimcnt being general throughout
this part of Pennsylvania.
I've got ratllcsnake at home, y
continued the rattlcsnake king, "that
have had for eleven years. raised
him from the time he was three inches
long. and think the world of him. but
he's got his fangs in. and ! know that
he would just as leave sock them into
me rs into any thing else. ! call him
Nicodcmus. | have learned good
deal about rattlcsnakcs in my long eX-
pcrience with them. but | have dis
covered more things about them
through Nicodcmus than in any other
way. Among other things, | have
found that the rattlcSnakc changes its
skin twice "A ycar-in July and Scptcm-
bcr-and that if they can't get to water
while they're. shedding their skin it
will come of slowly and in pieces. in
stead Of pecling off in one whole piece
from head To tail. But I've never
caught onto just how they get the skin
Off I've gone TO bed at night and left
Nicodemus without his showing any
more sign of pccling himself than if
he'd been a stick Of wood, but in the
morning his old clothes would be lying
in one corner of the cage, and he would
be as bright as an old-fashoncd patch
work quilt in his new ones.
ut is the general impression that
when rattlcsnakc is shedding his skin
he gets blind. There is no mistake
that his eyes do get covered with a
film at that time. but just put a mouse
in mis- cage and see how quick he'll coil
up and send for it, and hit it in the
neck every time. a rattlcsnake al
WAYS strikes for the neck. and he al
ways strikes his prey before he eats it;
but YOU may fill his cage with rats, or
mice. ur frogs, or any thing else hc
likes. and he'll never touch one Of them
unless he's hungry. He kills only
enough for one me.i. and when that j.
swallowed any thing and every thing
that's left can crawl over him. jump on
him and tumble him around as much
~ ii pleascs aud he'll never say boo.
The rattlesnakc is not wantOn de-
stroysr. nor j. he gluttOn. Two
mice will make him an ample meal. ]
had my pet rattlcsnakc ten months be-
fore he ate a mouthful or drank n drop
of any thing. A uttlesnakc has been
known 10 remain fourteen months in
captivity without eating or drinking.
and then all IL a sudden begin 30 find
his appetite. When | put Nicodemus
in his cage at the age Of ten months ]
put = young dove IN with him. Now
there isn't any thing on the earth or in
the air that ratt,esnake won't kill and
eat if he's hungry. and
Except bats. pop interrupted the
rattlesnake kings sunburned boy.
"Oh. yes. except bats, assented the
king. II put bat in Nicodemus'
cage once and / thought he'd 90 crazy.
lie coiled himself up ia one corner Of
hi. cage and actually hid his head All
he'd do was rattle. was afraid the
bat would scare the snake 30 death, ~
took IL out II the cage. ] put the
dove in the cage with Nicodemus just
20 see what be would do. That dove
lived with the snake FIVE years. I've Of
ten seen it and Nicodemus asleep to-